You type "google.com" into your browser. Google appears. It seems simple, but something has to happen behind the scenes to make that work.
That something is DNS.
The Short Version
DNS stands for Domain Name System. It translates the website names you type (like "yourcompany.com") into the numerical addresses that computers actually use to find each other on the internet.
Think of it like the contacts app on your phone. You tap "Mom" and your phone dials the right number. You don't need to remember the number. DNS does the same thing for the internet.
DNS Does More Than You Think
Here's the part most people don't realize: your company's DNS records control a lot more than just your website.
Email delivery. When someone sends an email to [email protected], DNS tells their email server where to deliver it. There are also DNS records that help prevent your emails from being marked as spam, and records that make it harder for scammers to send fake emails pretending to be you.
Website availability. If your DNS stops working, nobody can find your website. The site itself might be fine, but visitors trying to reach it get an error message instead.
Other services. VPNs, cloud applications, phone systems, and security tools often depend on DNS records to function correctly.
Security. DNS filtering is one of the simplest ways to block employees from accidentally visiting malicious websites. If someone clicks a bad link in a phishing email, DNS filtering can stop the connection before any damage is done.
Your website is just one piece. DNS ties together many systems that your business depends on.
Who Should Manage DNS?
This is where things get practical.
If you hire a web developer to build or update your website, they may ask you for access to your DNS. This is a common request. It's the easiest way for them to point your domain to your new site.
But we don't recommend it, and here's why.
A web developer's job is to build and maintain your website. That's their focus, and that's what you're paying them for. But your DNS controls much more than your website. It controls your email, your security settings, and potentially other services you rely on.
When someone who only sees part of the picture has access to change DNS records, things can go wrong. We've seen website updates accidentally break email delivery. We've seen security records get deleted because they looked unfamiliar. These aren't malicious acts. They're honest mistakes made by people who weren't thinking about the systems they couldn't see.
What We Recommend
Domain registration should be controlled by your business directly, or by your IT support team on your behalf.
DNS records should be managed by whoever is responsible for your overall IT environment.
Web developers should provide the specific DNS records they need, and your IT team makes the changes.
This approach keeps everything coordinated. Your IT team can verify that a new website record won't conflict with email or security settings before making the change. And once a website is launched, DNS changes are infrequent anyway.
This isn't about making life harder for web developers. It's about making sure one system doesn't accidentally break another.
What You Should Know
You don't need to understand the technical details of DNS. But there are a few things worth knowing.
Know who controls your domain. Your domain registrar (the company you pay annually to own "yourcompany.com") is different from your web host. Make sure your business owns the domain directly, not a vendor.
Set your domain to auto-renew. And make sure the payment method on file is current. We've seen businesses lose access to their own email because they missed a renewal notice.
Have one point of control for DNS. When multiple people have access to make changes, it's harder to keep things coordinated. If your IT provider manages DNS, they should be the ones making changes, even when those changes are requested by someone else.
The Bottom Line
DNS is the system that connects your domain name to your website, email, and other services. It's more important than most people realize, and it touches more systems than just your website.
When your web developer asks for DNS access, it's worth pausing. The better approach is to have them tell your IT team what they need, and let the people who see the whole picture make the change.